Sikkim rail project: Is it development or disaster waiting to happen?
Bishnu Rai gets emotional every time he tries to speak about his home. Especially since he’s on the verge of losing it. Thirty-one-year old Rai lives on a hilltop in…
Air pollution could negate Swachh Bharat benefits for children
Improved sanitation access for children in rural areas may arrest stunting but early-life exposure to high levels of air pollution could play spoilsport in realising these benefits, warn researchers amid…
[Commentary] The need for Legislative Impact Assessments in India
“What is the purpose of law in society?” Jurists have long debated this issue. However, at a minimum, one might argue that laws serve multiple societal purposes. These include its…
Your environment this week: nanodiamonds from pollutants, sustainable fashion and khesari dal debate
This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. To receive a weekly email with a roundup of our stories, please sign-up to our newsletter. Toxic debate rages on over…
NDA 2.0: What it means for India’s environment?
With the renewed mandate that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has received, there is a likelihood of it continuing its environmental policies, focusing on the ease of business and…
No country for regulation – of genetically engineered crops
India’s seed market hides a sea of illegality, which keeps rearing its ugly head every once in a while. The discovery of genetically modified (GM) brinjal in a Haryana farmer’s…
[Commentary] Biodiversity heritage sites could turn out to be a lifeline for India’s conservation efforts
There are many varied spaces -- sacred groves, industrial complexes, national level institutes, village commons, universities, defence lands, temple premises, urban parks -- that have one thread in common. They…
Amid elections, government proposes overhaul of environment clearance rules
In April, as India was busy in the 2019 parliamentary elections, the central government moved to “re-engineer” the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006, which governs environment clearance for industrial…
[Commentary] Nearly a decade old, is the National Green Tribunal losing its bite?
The genesis of the National Green Tribunal (NGT, for short) is itself what makes it different from the other Tribunals in the country. It was established under the weight of…
Emissions in Indo Gangetic Plain linked to nearly half of untimely deaths due to outdoor air pollution
Toxic air does not know borders. A simulation study has gauged that 80 percent of the total untimely deaths in India due to outdoor air pollution is caused by emissions…
